Canonical

Canonical has just released the latest major update to the Ubuntu Touch mobile OS and it is really a major one, especially for owners of Ubuntu Touch smartphones. While those, particularly the Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition, is more than capable of offering Convergence, it was blocked by the lack of a HDMI out port. With this latest OTA-11 update, that is no longer an issue as Ubuntu Touch now supports connecting to an external display wirelessly, which means smartphone users can even more conveniently use Convergence with no wires in sight.

In part one of our rather lengthy review, we took a look at the bq Aquaris M10 Ubuntu tablet's hardware. Suffice it to say, it perfectly played the role of a mid-range tablet. While the device had a few ups, like its lightweight design, bright display, and substantial battery, it would have been easily passed for a mediocre slab if not for the software running on it. In this round, we take a deeper look into what makes this tablet truly one of a kind, and almost literally too. This time, we take a dive into the alien world of Ubuntu Touch.

One cannot claim that Canonical is lacking in ambition. The company behind the most popular Linux desktop software has risen up to challenge the dominance of Microsoft and Apple on the desktop and is doing the same on Android and iOS on mobile. Ubuntu Phones, however, have so far been on the low to mid range side, belying the full potential of Ubuntu's mobile version. The Meizu PRO 5, however, is about to change that perception, and this most powerful Ubuntu phone is finally on the market, available for purchase.

We already saw the telltale signs, but you might still do a double take when you hear the official word. Microsoft and Ubuntu creator and owner Canonical have indeed made it possible to run Linux user space commands on an image of Ubuntu running on Windows 10 natively. No virtual machines, no containers, no dockers. While that might mean little to anyone except for developers, power users, and Linux users, it does open the door to possibilities but also raises some questions on Microsoft's real goal.

The Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition tablet is launched as part of a collection of "converged devices" running Ubuntu OS. They say it'll be dynamic. They suggest it'll look fantastic. This one tablet represents the full Ubuntu experience, including both a "mobile-based full touch interface" and a "true PC experience" on one device. This tablet can act on its own or work with an additional display, as well. Canonical's new series of "converged devices" is being launched alongside Euro partner BQ.

The second Ubuntu phone has just landed, fulfilling a promise that has been at least a year in the making. In China, The Meizu Ubuntu MX4 can already be grabbed by developers, with a promise that it would be available to European customers soon. Although bq's Aquaris E4.5 did beat Meizu to the punch, the Ubuntu-bearing MX4 does offer some more or less higher specs but with a matching higher price tag as well. That, however, might still make it a more interesting option for those greatly interested in this alternative mobile platform.

It's no secret that Canonical wants its Ubuntu Linux operating system to replace Window, but to do so it needs to expand beyond its current mostly desktop, and some server, presence. While it's mobile efforts are still en route, aside form a lone bq Aquaris, the company is already planning on integrating deeper into your home through the so-called Internet of Things or IoT. And this time, it isn't doing it by itself but is enlisting the help of some big names like GE, Acer, and, ironically, Microsoft.

When Microsoft revealed its vision of Windows 10 Continuum applied on smartphones, it sounded almost like a dream. Imagine being able to use the same apps on the same device, but customized and optimized to fit in whatever display size is being used at the moment. But to those who have been watching the smartphone industry for quite a while, that dream might sound familiar. That's because Canonical, the company behind the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu, made that same spiel almost two years ago and it seems it won't be giving up just because Microsoft beat it to the punch.

The Ubuntu device you're about to see goes by the name Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu edition, and it isn't going to be like your average iPhone or Android. Instead, so it's being presented by Canonical as, this device will make quick work of your day-to-day needs with "Scopes" - also known as cards. The first Ubuntu phone for the public will make use of this first market-ready version of Ubuntu for mobile devices and will pose the following question to the public: Do you really need apps in the first place?

Linux is making another play for the Internet of Things, with Ubuntu figuring that as devices from thermostats through home hubs to personal robots and drones get smarter, they'll need a more flexible brain. Snappy Ubuntu Core is the latest platform for smart devices, promising gadgets that run exactly the same software whether locally or relying on the cloud, and thus bypassing questions about whether users are regularly upgrading, if old firmware is still in the wild, and where apps are going to come from. While Ubuntu clearly isn't alone in its IoT ambitions, Ubuntu Core does at least have an advantage some rival schemes don't: it already has users.

It seems that Samsung isn't the only one experiencing delays in getting a new player in the mobile market out of the woodwork. Canonical, the commercial company behind the open source Linux-based Ubuntu OS has been quoted to have said that its much-hyped Ubuntu Phone won't be announced until early 2015. And that's just the announcement of the availability and not the availability itself, which can, of course, be delayed repeatedly, as Samsung's dance with its own Tizen OS has proven.

Back in February, Canonical promised that its phone-centric Ubuntu Touch will be making its way to actual retail smartphones later this year. But Canonical promises many things and with the year coming to a close, it seems that that promise might either be delayed or, worse, broken entirely. But behold, a device bearing the likeness of the Meizu MX4 but also bearing within it Ubuntu's mobile OS has just been spotted, fanning the flames of hope of a still possible Ubuntu phone soon.